Combined sock and arch support



Oct 22, 1940.

F. G. MORTON 2,219,235

COMBINEDSOCK AND ARCH SUPPORT- Filed May 2, 1959 it 6'. Marion Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE couanmn 800K as anon surroa'r Francis 0. Morton, Amsterdam, N. Y.

Application May z, 1939, Serial No. 211,303

This invention relates to hosiery and more particularly to a combined sock or stocking and arch support.

The object of the invention is to provide a sock or stocking having an elastic portion knitted,

woven or otherwise formed integral with the bottom of the sock and positioned immediately beneath the arch thereof so that, when the sock or stocking is worn, said elastic portion will snugly l0 engage the arch of the foot and form a firm sunport therefor. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a sock or stocking having an elastic band knitted into the foot portion'thereof and extending cirll cumferentially around the same so as to engage both the instep and arch,.the elastic material at the instep portion of the band being thinner than the remaining portion of said band to prevent bulging of said materialand crowding ofthe foot when inserted in a shoe.

A still further object of the invention is Benerally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efliciency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part a of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a-combined sock and arch support embodying the present so invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l, v

Figure 3 is a similar view'illustrating a modified. form of the invention. and

a Figure 4 is a side elevation illustrating afurther modification.

The improved arch support forming the subfeet-matter of the present invention may be used in connection with any kind of hosiery, and by way of illustration is shown applied to a knitted sock, in which I designates the toe, I the heel and I the ankle portion. In carrying the invention into eflect, I knit, weave or otherwise form integral with the foot portion of the sock during the fabrication thereof a circumferential elastic band 8 which is normally contracted so that, when the sock is viewed in side elevation, the foot oi the sock will have an intermediate constricted portion, indicated at 0. This circumferential band 8 may be formed of interwoven strands of fabric and rubber and, as before stated, is knitted or woven into the body of the sock during the manufacture thereof. That portion I. of the band 8 immediately beneath the arch is preferably of as coarser or-thicker weave than the upper portion l I of the band so that, when the sock is positioned on the foot of the wearer, the heavy portion ll of said band will bear against the arch of the foot and support the same while the relatively thin portion ll of the band will extend over the instep and not present a bulky surface which would tend to crowd the foot when a shoe is positioned thereon. The thickened portion III also serves to reinforce and strengthen the band at the point subjected to the most wear.

It will thus be seen that, when the foot is inserted in the sock, the lower portion of the band 8 will snugly engage the arch of the foot, while the upper portion ll of the band will extend over the instep, thereby forming a firm support for the arch without the employment of separate or independent gadgets for this purpose. As the arch support is formed integral with the sock, it is always in position thereon for immediate use, as will be readily understood. It desired, instead of forming the arch supporting band of two thicknesses of material, the thickness of the band may be uniform throughout its entire circumference, as indicated at II in Figure 3 of the drawing, Instead of extending the a elastic band 8 entirely around the foot of the sock, the elastic portion It may be positioned beneath the arch with its opposite ends terminating at a point intermediate the width of the foot portion of the sock, as indicated at ll in Figure 4 of the drawing. When this form of the device is employed, the arch supporting band l3 will be knitted or woven into the body of the sock during the fabrication thereof in the same manner as the band shown in Figure 1 of the drawing.

While I prefer to knit the elastic arch supporting band into the body of the sock during the manufacture thereof, it will, of course, be understood that, if desired, said band may be formed separately and subsequently applied to the sock as an insert, the main purpose of the invention being to provide an arch support which constitutes an integral portion of the sock or stocking and which will automatically engage the arch of the foot to support the arch when the sock is worn.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. Hosiery including a foot having an intermediate contracted portion, and an elastic band integral with the foot extending circumferentially around the foot at said contracted portion and adapted to extend beneath the arch and over the instep and normally exert a yieldable comportions and an elastic band intermediate the toe and heel portions of the ioot and integral with the foot, said band extending across the bottom 01' the foot and upwardly along sides thereof and adapted to stretch in the direction of the circumference of the foot, said band being normally contracted and being stretched circumierentially oi. the foot when the hosiery is worn to exert a yieldable compressive pressure upon the adjacent portions of a person's foot to form a in support therefor.

FRANCIS G. MORTON. 

